Decent 2D fighter, terrible PC port, as usually happens.
Netcode is mediocre, keymapping is an absolute mess. You can't leave empty all of the key bindings for player 2, even if you never use it. You're forced to map everything, in order to exit the control config screen. Games for 25 years ago had more intuitive key mapping options.
For some reason the keymapping is broken for all of these games. Why are the devs unable to make a user-friendly keymapping system for these games? It's frustrating that they're actually selling this game like this. Any physical real-world product this defective would be recalled. This game should be sent back to the devs until they fix it.
Summary: a somewhat polished, a slightly design-flawed game that tries very hard to be Tekken and especially Street Fighter IV, with a ton of unique game modes and content. I recommend this one much less conditionally than 2002 UM, though both are decent for different reasons. Dig up the original arcade version once you grow beyond the limitations of this watered down PC port.
Pros: 1. Sweet graphics (low significance) 2. The game tries to imitate KOF 2002 UM i.e. KOF 9-2 (2009) with some success. 3. Inputs are a bit (but just a bit) more responsive than in UM 2002. 4. The character colour customization is fun, though some chars (the ones with little clothes such as Daimon) have very little options for it. 4. Music is phenomenal, e.g. Tame a Bad Boy, only the replacement of the Psycho Soldier theme with inferior Purity Soldier one sucks. Nothing else. (major sign.) 5. The survival mode is still there. 6. Runs smoothly on a potato system.
Cons: 1. There is no way to bind diagonal movement buttons, making accurate movement and some vital specials impossible to pull out regularly with a keyboard. Dumbed down alternative inputs without diagonals could have easily fixed this (a major flaw). 2. The arcade/story battle missions mistakenly refer to Super Special moves as "Desperation Moves", which is probably the Japanese term. It is initially very confusing. 3. No single arcade. 4. Tons of loading times. (medium sign.) 4. The unlockable chars suck. Billy and an overpowered fireball spammer Saiki. F-ing lame. Even Geese would have been better. 5. Two extremely annoying end bosses (unplayables: Mukai-abs. Saiki and Evil Ash), the same broken-as-hell style as in earlier titles. Totally destroys the casual mood and forces very boring fighting styles. Evil Ash is difficult even on Very Easy. (a major bore)
Neutral: 1. The character count is 37. Feels small after 2002 UM's 66. Also the characters here feel a lot more samy. 2. The plot is a whole lot of nothing.